The Ending Fails
by RJ Lewis the III
Summary: Three years after the death of her brother, Avery has no choice but to run to the man who killed him. Meanwhile, Griffin made a promise that he'll stop at nothing to keep. -DISCONTINUED-


**This is just a test drive, to see what reactions I get from this. I'm going out of country in four days, so I won't be updating until I get back at the end of the month. I'd really just love to come back from a great trip to find a couple reviews waiting for me. ;) I have half of the next chapter completed, so all I'm waiting for is you guys. Takes place after the movie.**

**Enjoy, Madi.**

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He stood in front of the door, box in hand as he internally fought with himself. He knew she was home, the lights were on in the top rightmost corner of the dorm house, and earlier he'd heard music humming gently. He knew she was there, only a few feet above him, probably slaving away while studying for her midterms or messing around with her photos like she used to. He knew she was there, but he couldn't get his hand to reach out and ring the damned buzzer.

It had been the same thing every December 14th for the past three years. Every year since it happened, he came to check on her. He'd jump to her dorm with the same box in hand as he did now, and then he would stand on her doorstep for a few minutes before jumping away. He never rang the bell, never gave any sign to her that he had even been there, nothing that would alert her that he knew where she was. He never left anything behind for her to find. She didn't want to find him, and that was fine by him. She didn't need to know he still cared.

Three months ago, David Rice stumbled into his life and managed to make it go to hell in less than 24 hours. He'd gotten conned in to saving Rice's girlfriend and in the end, had his ass handed to him on a platter by his fellow jumper. Griffin didn't exactly like David, at all, but he had to admire the lengths he went to save the girl. However, the part where David left him pinned in a live electricity tower, was a bit over the top. He still needed to get David for that little stunt of his.

But during the four hours it had taken for someone to get him released, thoughts of Millie had train wrecked through his mind, and he immediately thought of her. That night had been the first time he'd ever gone to her building other than on Jared's Anniversary. He hadn't done anything that night either, simply sat on her rooftop and listened as she sand along to the songs on the radio. He hadn't talked to her in four years, and at times, he wondered if he ever would again.

The small button screwed next to the door mocked Griffin, telling him to buzz up to her. It sat there, waiting to be pushed and alert everyone in her building that someone was at the door. It wasn't very far from his dangling hand, all he had to do was reach up and he'd be touching it, and that would be that. All it took was a few muscles and he would finally see her again. He could finally tell her what happened, how sorry he was, how much of an ass he had been for leaving her behind after everything that had happened. He'd made a promise to protect, and frankly, he was doing a bleeding horrible following through with it.

Of course, it's hard to protect a girl who hated him so much; she'd tried to kill him on more than one occasion. Not that Griffin blamed her, at all. It wasn't like he'd given Avery any reason for her to forgive him. After everything that had happened, he was surprised that her parents still to him on the rare occasion when he called to check on them.

Staring up at her window again, he noticed that the lights had been shut off. Looking at his watch, he let out a sigh and rubbed his face with a hand. He shrugged and tucked the package under his arm. "I came, I saw, I'm leaving," he muttered, his breath fogging in front of him in the cold December air. He walked down the front steps, his black boots crunching in the fresh snow. About halfway down her walkway, the light switched on above the front door as the door was thrown open.

He jumped instantly, mostly just on instinct, and landed on her rooftop. Sitting down, he watched in almost shock as she came running out of her house. She had on a pair of PJ shorts, a tank top, and a pair of snow boots but didn't seem to notice the cold as she brushed a hand through her hair and searched the darkness.

_What the bloody hell is she doing?_ Griffin thought, sliding down her roof slightly to get a good look at her as she stood, looking the same as always, on the path leading the street. He leaned forward even more and realized only too late that the only thing holding up his weight was the rain gutter.

--

She waited with the light on and The Scene Aesthetic played softly in the background as she impatiently tapped her nails on the desk. He was late, as always. It seemed like every year he came later and later, staying for a shorter visit every time. The first year he'd come, it had taken her all to resist marching out to him and kicking his ass. Or, at least attempt to kick his ass. She'd just ignored his presence instead and finished her Midterm homework before switching off the light and going to sleep.

The next year he came as well, and this time, she didn't bother even allowing herself to acknowledge him. If he wanted her to know that he was going to come, every year until the end of time, he would just ring the damned door bell and tell her himself. But he didn't, and never had, so she never bothered to open the door to the Brit she knew would be standing there.

It was the same thing every year, he'd show up on December 14th, stand around the front door with something under his arm, and then disappear back into the night for another year. It happened the same, like a movie with a scratch that constantly repeated the same scene, over and over again. They never talked, and she was sure that he didn't even know she knew he came. She didn't care that he came, so long as he left again.

Except, this year she couldn't let him leave. Because she'd seen them, roaming around the campus, looking for her and any one associated with her that they could use as leverage. It was the way that these men worked, go for the friends and family before you took out the prime target. And at the moment, every one was in danger. She had to leave, and Griffin O'Connor was her ticket out.

The only problem was convincing him not to drop her at the first safe house he came to.

Glaring at the clock, she reminded herself to kick Griffin for waiting until two in the morning to come calling. Honestly, did the boy know no manners? With a growl, she walked over to the window and pushed back the curtain, doing a double take at the outline of a man on her front step. She hadn't even felt his jump. Shaking her head, she ignored the detail and ran for the front door. She had to catch him before he left again, and if that happened, she wouldn't be around next year for him to come visit.

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As she ran down the hallway to the front door, Avery grabbed a pair of snow boots not even checking to see if they were hers, and dashed out the front door, flipping on the light as she went. She was met with a lawn blanketed in snow with no signs of Griffin. _Shit_. Starting to panic, she walked out into the cold and searched the darkness for any sign of the Brit, or at the very least, his jump scar. Anything to show her that he had simply made a quick getaway at the sign of someone coming out the house, something to ensure that he hadn't just left her, again.

A flood of panic was starting to slowly push its way into Avery's mind as she realized Griffin wasn't there, hiding in the dark. Running a shaking hand through her red hair, she mentally ran a list of Plan B's and C's. The only logical option she had now, and it in no way guaranteed her survival, was to run and run far. She knew it wouldn't matter how far or for how long she ran, that they would always be able to find her. They always did.

"I'm so royally screwed," Avery muttered, taking a deep breath and turned back to go back into the house. She only took a step before a loud groan sounded and she looked up at the roof just in time to see Griffin take a face plant into the snow from her two story building. Well, it would've been an almost hilarious face plant if he hadn't jumped away at the last second and Avery was almost in tears of relief.

Taking in the pissed off, cold looking, Brit, Avery couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. He dusted off his jeans, swearing under his breath, and looked up with a glare. She noticed that he still wore the jacket that had been a result of a day long shopping spree with Jared. He didn't look any different than that night, four years ago. He still looked like that badass seventeen year old who had once told her he was a magician with 'special skills'. The flirtatious look that come along with the pick-up line was shot to hell when her older brother had shown up, proving that he too was a "magician".

Of course, that had been years ago, before things had gone to hell and they'd each gone their separate ways. Griffin looked the same, except for his eyes. They looked like they should belong to a ninety year old man on his death bed, not a perfectly healthy twenty one year old. He'd seen too much, had to kill too many men, and had too many things ripped away from him. No one deserved what had happened to Griffin, even if Avery did hate him with almost every fiber of her being.

With a shiver, Avery realized that they had been standing in the below freezing cold December air, just staring for nearly five minutes. Knowing that they were everywhere, she quickly headed for the dorm, grabbing Griffin by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him with her. He didn't object, but she was sure he wasn't thrilled about following her into her home. She checked outside the door before closing it and motioned the older boy to follow her.

"Want anything to drink?" she asked, quietly as not to wake her dorm mates, as she led them into the kitchen. Avery glanced back to see Griffin looking curiously around her kitchen and he shrugged without turning to her.

"Coffee's fine," he muttered, taking an awkward seat at one of the kitchen tables.

Avery nodded and poured two cups out of the common pot, and sat down opposite him at the table. She slid the cup down to him, and took a small sip of hers.

"Thanks Ave," he said, surprising her with his sincere tone along with the use of his long time nickname for her. She just shrugged, gulping down another drink of her own liquid caffeine. "There a reason why you dragged me in to your house, kid?"

She didn't like the way he was acting. It was almost like he was picking off where they left off, that having coffee at two thirty in the morning was normal for them, and the fact that they hadn't held a conversation in over three years wasn't important. "I need your help."

Griffin paused, coffee cup halfway to his lips as he stared at the young girl across the table from him. "You need my _help_," he repeated, not believing the words as he said them. The pointed look that Avery was throwing him quickly concluded that she was not only serious, but crazy as well. But still, it was a step towards proving that maybe she didn't completely hate him with every fiber of her being. At least she willing to let him in. Letting out a sigh, he tipped back in his chair and stared at her. "What kind of help?"

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**Feedback would be fantastic! - Madi**

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